unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (08/23/89)
ALASKAN OIL SPILL: HUMAN HAZARD IGNORED Oil-soaked sea otters-- their small furry bodies covered in black sludge-- were the focus of much of the media coverage of the Exxon Valdez's oil spill in Alaska. But scientists now say that the health risk to another mammal-- man--was largely ignored. Humans working on cleanup crews may suffer the health effects of extended contact with the oil, said experts at a July 28-30 meeting of toxicologists and health officials in Seattle, Wash. Following the disaster in Prince William Sound, workers attempting to control the spill worked up to their elbows in oil. They were exposed to the most toxic components of the newly spilled oil, as well as petroleum fumes. Maintaining the supply of protective clothing was a major problem as the number of cleanup workers grew into the thousands. The stockpile of safety suits ran out and many workers spent days at a time in oil-drenched clothing. In addition, Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, which require 40 hours of training for oil cleanup personnel, appear to have been ignored as many workers reportedly received only an hour of prepping before tackling the crude oil. The health effects of the exposure to the toxic compounds in the oil include skin irritation, and postmortem studies of exposed otters have shown severe emphysema, and liver, kidney, intestinal, adrenal, and bone- marrow abnormalities. While Exxon spent $8 million to save 350 sea otters--of which only 180 survived--some people complained of the low priority given to the safety of the clean-up workers. ``These people have always been seen as expendable in our society, and this case is no exception,'' said Knut Ringen, director of the Laborers National Health and Safety Fund. While oil's most toxic components, the polycyclic aromatic compounds, evaporated within several days, this was after many workers who tackled the crude oil early on had already been exposed. Hoping to understand the full human impact of the spill, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has proposed spending $35 million over the next five years to study the environmental fallout, the effectiveness of the cleanup, and the cultural impact on local communities of the spill. At the conference, Ernie Piper, of the Alaska governor's office, called the Exxon spill ``one big spill for Alaska, but one giant source of employment for science.'' SCIENCE August 4,1989; 245:463. (Compiled from Newspapers and Medical Journals for IMTS's Healthweek In Review.) * Origin: UNITEX --> Toward a United Species (1:107/501) --- Patt Haring | UNITEX : United Nations patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu | Information patth@ccnysci.BITNET | Transfer Exchange -=- Every child smiles in the same language. -=-